Toy vehicle



TOY VEHICLE Filed April 26, 1919 s sn g-sun 2 gwwhhn Mar. 3.1925. I1,527,973-

A. C. GILBERT TOY VEHICLE Fi l ed April 26, 1919 s Sheets-Sheet PatentedMar. 3, 1925.

* UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED o. GILBERT, on NEW AVEN, oonuns'rrour;v AssIGNoR. TO- A. o.GILBERT COMPANY, on NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OFCONNECTICUT.

TOY VEHICLE.

Application filed April 26, 1919. I Serial No. 292,877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED C. GILBERT, a. citizen of the United States,residingin New Haven, county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, haveinvented certain new and use-- ful Improvements in Toy Vehicles, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to toys, and more particularly to toys of thatclass termed construction toys, where a set of difi'erent parts March11, 1919,1- have described and broadly claimed a toy of this generalcharacter-with which vehicles of various typesadapted to support orcarry children can be readily built up or fabricated by the childrenthemselves. The present applicationis in: part a division of thatapplication, but relates scribed therein.

One of the objects of the present, invenalso to features of constructionnot-fully detion is to furnish improvements which are a wooden board 20is used for the body. It

of special advantage in a knock-down wheeled toy. Certain features ofthe invention are not necessarily restricted to use in wheeled toys,however, because they are applicable with equal advantage to structureshaving runners, such as sleds. v

More specifically, my; invention aims to provide a .novel andsatisfactory running gear for toy vehicles oft-hat type wherein an axleis employed for carrying wheels'or runners. In accordance with myinvention, the axle can be very readily and securely attached to a boardor the like constituting avehicle body, and the wheels or the like maybe readily applied to the axle; ture is strong and durable, but it canbe easily taken apart when it is desired to use the parts inanotherstructure.

Another object of my invention is to furnish a knockdown childs cart ofsimple construction.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features andcombinations The strucof parts to be hereinafter. described and clalmed.

In the accompanying drawings:

. Fig. lris a perspective view of a childs cart embodying myimprovements.

Fig: 21 is another perspective view showing the cart turned up ononeside to disclose the axle mounting.

Fig. 3 is a front end view of. the cart with the tongue broken away. I.

Fig. 4: is a rearend view withv the upper portion of the tongue omitted.

Fig, 5 is'an' enlarged detail elevation of one endportion of the axleand its mount- 1ng.'

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a detail section showing one method of attaching the tongue tothe cart.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a childs cart of somewhat modifiedconstruction.

Fig. 9 shows the axle mounting of the cart shown in Fig. .8.

Fig. 10 shows the tongue connection of the cart shown in'Fig. 8; and

Fig. 11 is a detailper spective view of one of the axle supportingbrackets.

In constructing the cart herein illustrated,

is the same as the body board described in my application, Serial No.281,970, having a pluralityof. series of perforations 21, which adapt itfor various uses. Metal side.

plates 22 and a metal rear plate 23, composed of two overlapping parts,are applied to the upper surface of the board in substantially the samemanner described in my above mentioned previous application.

The I side plates22 are comparatively short, as

wheels or runners. In the present instance, wheels are mounted to rotateupon the respective end portions of the axle. The axle has a detachablemounting on the vehicle bodyincluding a pair ofspaced metal straps orbrackets26, one of which is-shown in detail in Fig. 11. These bracketsare of approximately ii-shape, having inturned free ends 26 Theintermediate part of the bracket is somewhat flattended as shownat 26and is provided with a central perforation 27. The inturned ends or lugs126 are each provided with a perforation "28 :and the legs of thebracket are provided with perforations 29, 3O, as "shown in' Fig. 11.The brackets 26 are set transversely :to the body, as shown in Fig 2,with the upper surfaces "of the lugs 26 in contact with the lowersurfaceof the'body 'andthe -perforations 28 registering with-certain of theperforations 21. It will be observed from Fig. 2 that the body isprovided with two longitudinal series of perforations arranged atopposite sides respectively of-a :longitw dinal median line, and theupper ends of the brackets register with certain "of these perforations.vBolts 31 passing through the upper'ends of .the brackets and throughthe body secure the parts together. The bolts have nuts 32. Byprovidingthe body with the two longitudinal series of perforations.

above mentionedythe spacing of the'brackets 26may be changed withincertain limits. In other words, if it is desirable to do so, thebrackets can be brought more closely together than in theconstruction-shown .in Figs. v2, 3 and 4. 1

Applied to the lower portions of the bracketsare small U-shaped clips33. Each of these clips has a perforation 34 .in its intermediateportion adapted to register with the perforation 27 ofthe-bracket; and

a short bolt 35, provided with a nut 36 1S ada ted to en a e the reisterin erforations for securing the clip rigidly but detachably to thebracket, as shownmore particularly in Fig. 6. The legs of the *U- shapedclip extend downwardly, the clip being set transversely with respect tothe bracket, and said legs are provided with holes 37 through which theaxle 24 passes. The legs of the clip act asrspaced supporting membersfor the axle, which is received therein. In order to preventlongitudinal displacement of the axle relatively to its mounting,a'suitable locking device is employed. In the form shown, the lockingdevice comprises a U-shaped-locking-clip '38, similar to the clip 33,but smaller, so that it will fit fairly snugly within the clip 33, asshown in Fig. 5. The legs of the looking clip have holes 39 fitting overtheaxle and the intermediate portion of the looking clip is providedwith a screw threaded socket 40 engaged by a clamping screw 41.

This screw clamps the locking clip tightly on the axle, as will beunderstood, and owing to the fact that the legs of the locking clip liewithin the supporting clip and in contact withthe inner faces of thesupportri'ng-cl p legs, it will be :impossible for the 'riwstrap 44inaybe-detacliably applied to the under surface of the body at the rearthereof by fboltsengaging certain perforaitions" of the strap andcertain perforations of the body. The function of this strap :is toengage the ground so as to prevent the cart :f-rom tipping :backward totoo great an extent.

The tongue employed for pulling the cart isshown at 45. This tongue isbuilt up of sections, and :has a detachable handle-bar 46 :securedthereto. A perforated wooden :stick "47 similar to the handle-bar 46 is"detachably secured to the tongue near the bot y 120:byangles 48andbo1ts49 insubstahtially the *same manner in which. the "handle-bar i-sapplied to the tongue body.

The stick'47 extends down-ward to engage the ;.ground and .hold thetongue or handle of :the cart in an upwardly inclined position, as shownin-Fig. .1. r r

In order to secure the tongue'tothe cart,

.a clip 50,--similar to the clip 38, is detachably secured :to the lowerface of the body 20 adjacent the front edge thereof by a :bolt 51 asshown more particularly in :Fig. 7. Theirearend portion -of the tongueextends between the legs of the clip and -is:secured thereto in adetachable manner by a bolt 52 engaging one of the perforations inthetongue. A metal strap 53 is also "appliedto the re'arend portion of thetolngue y means {of a bolt 54 passing through a perforation in the strapd one the rearniost perforations of the tongue. The

:strap 53 extends beyond the rear end of the tongue and is provided atits rearwardly .projecting end with a loop 55 embracing the intermediateportion of the axle 524. It will beunderstood that by this construction,wherein the tongue is secured to the body and also to the axle, saidtongue is :held in a coiiioaratively rigid relation to thecart proper atthe desired angle.

In the cart shown in Fig. 8, double brackets are usedfor supporting :thebody from the axle so that the body will be higher from the ground. Thedouble brackets are each constituted by two of the brackets 26,detachably clamped together by short bolts 56. The lugs 26 of one member26 are placed in contact with the lugs of the other member, and thebolts 56 are passed through the registering perforations of the lugs.

In the form shown in Fig. 8, a modified tongue connection is alsoemployed, in which a bracket 26, similar to those previously described,is utilized. One leg of the bracket is detachably secured to the body,as shown in Fig. 10, by bolts 57, and the other leg is detachablysecured to the rear end of the tongue by bolts 58. In making thisconnection, the perforations 29, of the bracket are utilized. Thespacing of these perfora tions relatively to each other is such thatthey register with perforations of the body and the tongue.

In the vehicle shown in Fig. 8, the downwardly extending post or stick47, which serves to support. the vehicle, has detachably secured theretoa transverse piece or stick 59 similar to said post and to the handlebar46. The piece 59 serves as a footrest for the child sitting on thevehicle body.

The tongue is formed of sections arranged in end to end abuttingrelation. Each of these sections consists of a wooden piece or stick orapproximately square crosssection having two longitudinal series ofperforations that are spaced apart at equal list ances substantiallythroughout the length of the section. The holes of the respective seriesare arranged at right angles to each other, with corresponding holesintersecting. The two sections are interconnected by a butt joint whichincludes perforated-metal straps 60, applicable to opposite faces of thesections. The straps 30 have at least four holes or perforationsextending in a longitudinal series and having the same spacing as theholes in the sections. The straps are so placed that the two upper holesof both straps register with two lowermost holes of the upper tonguesection, while the lower holes of the straps register with two uppermostholes of the lower section. Fastening bolts 61 are then passed throughthe regis tering holes, securing the parts detachably together. Thebolts 61 are of the kind previously described, having nuts threadedthereon. By the construction described, the tongue sections can be veryreadily assembled so as to obtain a tongue of the required length, andin assembling, no: special care need be exercised to bring the sectionstogether in any special relation, as either end of one section may beconnected to either end of the other section. Furthermore, the fasteningbolts 61 may pass through holes of either of the two.- longitudinalseries with which each section is provided. The handle bar is detachablyconnected to the upper or outer section of the tongue in the same mainner in which the stick or post 47 is secured to the lower tonguesection, angles and bolts similar to: the angles 48 and bolts 49 beingemployed.

It will be apparent that by my invention I provide a very simple vehicleconstruction of the knockdown type for children. The parts can be veryreadily assembled and dis assembled. A toy of this kind is veryinteresting to a child, because the parts can be assembled in variousrelations, embodying different features of design.

Various changes may be made in the details of the construction hereindescribed without departing from the scope of my invention, as definedin the claims.

I do not claim broadly herein a member having a plurality ofperforations, a erforated strap member, means for detac ably securingsaid strap member to said first member in various posit-ions, an axle,means for securing said axle to said strap member, wheel adapted to bemounted on said axle, and means for securing the wheel on the axle, orother features claimed in my application Serial No. 281,97 0; nor do Iclaim herein the combination, in a toy suchas described, of a pluralityof elongated members of substantially square cross-section, each havinga longitudinal row of holes, and means for interconnecting said membersdetachably in various relations with the end face of one member abuttinganother member, or other features claimed in my application Serial No.290,312, filed April 15, 1919.

WVhat I claim is:

1. A toy vehicle comprising a body memher, ground engaging devicesincluding an axle, a tongue member, means including a plurality ofsubstantially identical brackets secured together in inverted relationfor securing the axle to the body member, and means including a bracketsubstantially identical with the first named brackets to secure thetongue member to the remainder member, and a wheel structure includingan axle, and means for securing the axle to the body member including aV shaped bracket having its apex connected to the axle, a sec ond Vshaped bracket having its apex connected to the body member and meansfor securing the free ends of the brackets to gether,

' 45. A toy vehicle comprising a body men ber and a Wheel structuresecured thereto, a tongue member connected to said body member andhaving applied at the free end thereof a transverse handle barconsisting of an elongated element and a substantially idem ticalelement applied transversely to the tongue adjacent the other endthereof "to support it in an upwardly inclined position.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand on the Qeth day ofApril, 1919.

ALFRED G. GILBERT.

